Hello, everyone! I have breaking news for you!
Due to a surprisingly chaotic work schedule where days stretch into nights and sometimes into the weekends, I haven’t given much thought to the altrockchick and only got around to reading Alicia’s piece a few days ago. Her arguments in favor of keeping the site open came as no surprise, but I will admit that after reading her contribution, I began to reconsider my decision to close the site.
Then I read Philip Baird’s comment, which transformed reconsideration into reality:
Still hoping that there’s a change of heart and the site continues, even if the posts are less frequent. It’s a magnificent body of rock reviews and it would be a shame to lose it.
I hereby announce that altrockhick.com will remain open for the foreseeable future. I have given my heart and soul to writing about music and I don’t want my efforts to go to waste. You won’t see much in the form of new reviews while I complete my commitment to the EU, but I should be back in full force in a few months.
Strangely enough, the thought of continuing my exploration of music history emerged before Alicia and Philip weighed in—largely because of my experience working for the EU. Though the job posting described a focus on human rights and gender issues, I spend half my time trying to get my colleagues to stop freaking out about Trump and the Muskrat and devote their energy to making the EU’s mission of promoting peace, positive values and the well-being of the citizenry a reality. Though it should be obvious that you can’t defeat chaos agents by letting them frighten you, the general mood in Europe is similar to pre-World War II, when many European nations began embracing the far right—an embrace that helped ignite the war. Recent Ipsos polling concludes that 75% of the worldwide population believes that the world is a more dangerous place, and if you google “when will World War III begin?” you’ll find articles like “What Countries Will Be in World War III?” and “10 Safest Countries to Seek Refuge if World War Breaks Out.”
Given this ugly environment and my sense that WWIII is a distinct possibility, I started to think about writing a piece on the music of World War II and the role music played in keeping up morale on battlefields and the homefront. I couldn’t get the thought out of my mind and spent my very limited free time researching the available compilations. I think we’re all going to need music that keeps our spirits up during the coming years and have chosen the compilation As Time Goes By: World War II Songs for this purpose.
Alicia was spot-on when she opined that I am unlikely to take a full-time job with the EU, but it has more to do with the undesirability of likely locations than the work itself. France is a mess; Brussels is where the bureaucracy thrives; Austria is leaning to the far-right; and the most exciting work is at the European Institute for Gender Equality in Vilnius, Lithuania, which is too close to Putin for my comfort zone (and there are no openings anyway). My director told me that she knew of an upcoming opening in the French embassy in Washington, D.C. and if I was interested she could pull a few strings for me, but the look of horror on my face quashed that idea in a few seconds. Our most likely landing spot is Ireland, which is on the 10 safest countries list. Lucky for us, my father has hired a few stout Irishmen to help him expand the cottage where we have stayed during our visits, and work will begin when weather permits. I have no idea what I will do to earn money, but there is a slim possibility that I could work remotely for the EU and there are several NGOs in Cork County worth exploring. I am still committed to doing what I can to make the world a better and safer place.
My director has promised to shield me from the seemingly endless requests for my perspective on American motivations, so I should have more time to complete the Hendrix and Admiral Fallow rewrites and start work on my WWII piece. As Alicia noted, writing reviews was a shared experience and we both experienced the feeling, “Don’t it always seem to go/That you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone?” My deepest appreciation to all of you who encouraged me to keep the doors open.
Cheers!
ARC. I’ve read your reviews for close to a year now almost every lunch break in my university library. Your words are a brilliant pass-time of mine and I will often sit and read your review of an album as I am listening to it myself. I find your work touching, hilarious, insightful and so entertaining. I find your views on the world insightful. My french girlfriend loves you too! I think the whole thing is fucking brilliant. Thank you for keeping this going a bit longer, this site is a breath of fresh air. All the best from rainy Edinburgh
Thank you! I’m delighted to know that there are people who listen to the music while reading my reviews and I very much appreciate your kind words. My output will be rather spotty for a while, but I hope to find a way to return to a weekly schedule once my EU contract runs its course. Cheers!
Hey ARC! So happy you are keeping the site up! Looking forward to your WWII playlist! (but what a drag about the reasons for it right now…) I’m sure you will have some great well researched historical info…because that’s what you do so well…..and a chance for us all check out some cool music that we are not familiar with….Welcome back!
Good news to read of your revised intentions.
Still looking forward to your review of Schubert’s 9th! Also, will Alicia write some classical/heavy metal reviews here？She’ll be a great contributor!
Schubert will have to wait for a while . . . closer to summertime, I think. It’s more likely that Alicia will be a “consultant” if I do any metal albums as she found writing her recent piece rather stressful.
Very good news about the site, and we all look forward to further reviews when you have the time and space. Sorry to hear you won’t be joining those of us living in the Washington metro area, but it’s probably for the best that you don’t actually *start* WWIII!
Good point! I actually love DC . . . but I’ll wait until you elect the next FDR or JFK.
Do you have something against racist fascist homophobic misogynists who put ketchup on well done steak?
Hey! How did you find out about my FUCK TRUMP baseball cap?
Good to hear ! 🙂 … I agree that it would have been a shame to lose all the reviews on this site. I actually find myself coming back to some of them at times, for various reasons.
Cheers and good luck with the new job.
Rick
It was lovely to read that. So glad that you’ve decided to stay with us. Thankyou.
This is great news, and it also underlines one of your good qualities, which is that you actually read the comments!
My mother is big on manners and passed that trait onto me. It’s unthinkable that I wouldn’t read all the comments—that would be rude!
I do admire your joy for life and your commitment for a change in a better fairer world. Today feels like the early 1930’s with the bully boys testing the limits and sensing weakness. All I ask is for a gentler kinder world. I admire that honesty in you. I went on my first anti apartheid march back in the very early seventies. I wagged school and caught the train to London and we marched quite civilly to show our hatred of this white regime enabled by British business. So part of me is bought and part of me still wants to rebel. Then on reflection I feel a bit shabby and cheap that I have become who I am, but I do enjoy your appreciation of all things music. I have recently discovered a whole world of exceptional music from South Africa covering the 50’s to the 70’s. In some ways nothing changes, the artist struggles, they get screwed, they overcome great physical and social adversity and then they sink into obscurity till they are rediscovered, repackaged and rebranded. 2025 is here, L.A. is burning but The Clash got it right ‘I live by the river’. Stay safe. John
Ooh—tell me about some of the South Africa music you discovered! I spent a week there on my round-the-world trip and grew quite fond of the people (and pissed off by the frequent blackouts).
I would settle for a kinder, gentler world, too.
Best news of 2025! You could come hide out down here in New Zealand…mostly harmless.
You made the top 10 safe places list, so I might wind up there sooner or later!
I must stay this is excellent, excellent news! Thank-you for reconsidering as my inbox has been remarkably less interesting since you have started working in the EU.
This is good news. If nothing else, this site can serve as an archive of high level musical criticism. Your Francoise Hardy post from more than a decade ago is well worth the price of admission.
Amazing news! This archive really needs permanancy… I truly hope things work out and I’ll put my spirit out there to help.
Welcome back, rock chick…. Very chuffed to have this news! Visiting (and oft-times revisiting) your music choices is such a welcome respite from horror-politics…
The issue isn’t just American motivations, as this book review suggests:
https://sydneyreviewofbooks.com/reviews/i-know-you-are-but-what-am-i
Thank you for sending the link to an extremely well-written and insightful review! No, the issue isn’t just American motivations, and much like the Democrats the EU has failed to alleviate the valid concerns of the lower and middle classes regarding immigration, trade and politically-correct language.
Great news! I wish you luck as you search for the right path forward in this dark world (as for me, I’m lucky to be in a well-off family in a good community in a blue state – Colorado – but I turn 18 in just under a month and Trump takes office before then, and I’m scared for what’s ahead). Anyway, I think you made the right decision – many of my favorite music review blogs have gone on hiatus or slowed down, but I still love reading through their archives, and I look forward to continuing to read through yours, and the occasional new posts will be fun and welcome surprises. I have lots of music recommendations for you, not necessarily to review but just to check out on your own time. If you’re interested, I’ll comment here with some of those over the next couple days. Y no he escrito una respuesta en la historia de Alicia, pero me gustaba mucho leerlo. Yo quiero mucho visitar a España – ¿qué lugares recomiende Alicia que un visitante estadounidense visite en España?
From Alicia: En España se han producido protestas contra el turismo en Barcelona y las islas, así que yo evitaría esas zonas. Es mejor no alojarse en un Airbnb en ningún sitio porque los españoles culpan a Airbnb de agravar la escasez de viviendas. Madrid, San Sebastián, Granada, Córdoba y Sevilla son lugares maravillosos para visitar y, si te gusta el vino, La Rioja es el lugar al que debes ir (la edad para consumir alcohol es de 18 años). También nos lo pasamos genial en Bilbao (ver la reseña de Arielle sobre Pearl Jam), pero algunos lo encuentran demasiado industrial.
Rather than look to the past, look to the future: Tom Lehrer’s So Long Mom, I’m off to Drop the Bomb.
https://youtu.be/yrbv40ENU_o?si=-HvRCCY6lG_1OJj4